AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott overturned an order Friday to block immigration traffic that kept commercial trucks on the U.S.-Mexico border after a week of growing reaction and fears of deepening economic losses.
The Republican governor rejected his new rules, which required all Mexican commercial trucks to be subject to additional checks to curb the flow of migrants and drugs, and stepped up the fight against the Biden administration over immigration policy.
Some truck drivers said they waited more than 30 hours to cross. Others blocked one of the world’s busiest trade bridges in protest.
Abbott, who will be re-elected in November and has made the border his main problem, has completely canceled inspections following agreements with neighboring Mexican states, which he says outline new commitments to border security. The latter was signed with the governor of Tamaulipas, who said earlier this week that the inspections were too diligent and created chaos. On Friday, he joined Abbott and said they were ready to work together.
When Abbott first ordered the inspections, he did not say their removal depended on similar arrangements with Mexico.
The pressure on Abbott to withdraw as the congestion of the border worsened. The American Truck Association called the inspections “completely wrong, redundant and adding significant weight to the already strained supply chain.” A customs agency in Mexico estimated the loss at millions of dollars a day, and distributors warned of empty shelves and higher prices if the order is not canceled soon.
The abbot acknowledged the slowdown in trade, but showed no signs of regret. He said he was ready to reschedule inspections if the Mexican states failed to complete the deal.
“I do not hesitate to do so,” said Abbott.
The US-Mexico border is crucial to the US economy, and more than that is in Texas – about 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers) – from any other state. The United States imported $ 390.7 billion worth of goods from Mexico last year, second only to China.
Trucks are inspected by US Customs and Border Services upon entering the country. Texas has begun its own inspections after the Biden administration said pandemic-related restrictions on seeking asylum at the border would be lifted on May 23.
Abbott called the inspections a “zero-tolerance policy on dangerous vehicles” smuggling migrants. He said Texas would take several steps in response to lifting asylum restrictions, which are expected to lead to an increase in migrants coming to the border.
State troops have inspected more than 6,000 commercial vehicles in the past week, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Nearly 1 in 4 trucks were pulled off the road for what the agency identified as serious violations, including defective tires and brakes.
Police found no human or drug trafficking during the inspections, said Public Safety Director Steve McCrow. He described this as unsurprising, saying the cartels knew the checks were ongoing.
But migrants stop at entry ports in only about 5% of CBP encounters. The vast majority move to mountains, deserts and cities between official crossroads.
The dynamics of drug seizures are different, with fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and other hard drugs seized mainly at official points, instead of between them. Their compact size and lack of odor make them extremely difficult to detect.
Abbott has also rented buses to Washington, D.C., for migrants who want to go. The first dropouts came on Wednesday, sparking criticism from the Biden administration. On Thursday, CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said Texas was relocating migrants without “adequate coordination” with the federal government.
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